2024 Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc

colour

Deep ruby

aroma

The nose is wonderfully fresh and perfumed with rose petal and violets.

palate

Bright, crunchy red fruits (raspberry/wild berries, touch of leaf) and saline acidity. All wrapped in a gentle, medium bodied framework with added refreshment if lightly chilled

cellaring

Drink within three to five years from vintage. 

vintage

The 2024 vintage in Margaret River commenced very early due to the prolonged 7month period of warmer and drier than average months that commenced in Spring (Oct) 2023 and continued throughout the entire Summer and into mid-Autumn (April) 2024.

Fortunately, our vineyards are mature and located on ideal soil types and did not blink at the challenging warm and dry conditions that the 2024 vintage dished up. Although yields were down, flavour intensity and tannin ripeness in our red varieties is superb and we are particularly excited in seeing how these wines mature in barrel and taste in the months and years to come.

winemaking

The fruit was handpicked cool in the early morning of 7th March 2024 (3 weeks earlier than average for this Block) and then destemmed into a small open fermenter when it reached the winery. The pristine berries (~half whole) were cold soaked for 3 days with wild fermentation starting on day 4. Gentle hand plunging of the skins to extract colour and structure without any harsh tannins was done twice daily until halfway through fermentation and then reduced to daily thereafter. Very easy to over extract Cabernet Franc with its small berries and papery skins – so important to take it easy when it is fermenting on skins. We hand plunge and ferment at cooler temps of 20-22°C as a result.

After 5 days, the decision was made to press the ferment off skins, with all but the very last 20L of hard and most bitter pressings blended back into the free-run to achieve the desired body and structure in the final wine.

Once dry, the wine then went straight into previously used French oak hogsheads (300L barrels) with no new ones. These larger barrels retain perfume and freshness whilst achieving a silky and refined palate along with textural complexity – a difficult combination to achieve in red winemaking. The resultant wine was bottled and released early to capture the essence of our Cabernet Franc style. Un-fined and unfiltered.

region

Margaret River

variety

Cabernet Franc

analysis

• Alcohol: 13.5%
• pH: 3.46
• TA 6.87 g/L

Savoury gamey chargrilled meats such as venison and lamb.